Coastal dunes are characterized by high environmental heterogeneity and variability in species composition¹. Contrary to common perception, open and early successional dune habitats support a diverse and unique assemblage of species — many of which are found nowhere else. Current dune restoration practices are geared towards active vegetation, which puts these species at risk.

Beaches are critical habitats for many species of seabirds and shorebirds, and provide feeding, resting and nesting habitats. For example, plovers (Charadrius and Anarhynchus genera) nest in flat habitats with little or no vegetation cover in order to have a wide view from their incubation position and enhance early predator detection². On open-coast beaches, such environments are usually found between the seashore and the first shifting dunes. This is an area that is more exposed to adverse weather events (such as storms and flooding), but the sea breeze helps with egg thermoregulation when the parents are absent and mitigates the lethal effects of heat stress³. This delicate ecological trade-off between nesting in areas with a higher risk of nest predation (more exposed nests) and increasing adult survival (greater ability to detect predators) is being compromised on many beaches.

沿海沙丘的特点是高度环境异质性和物种组成的可变性¹ 。与普遍看法相反，开放且早期演替的沙丘栖息地支持着多样化且独特的物种组合，其中许多物种在其他地方都找不到。目前的沙丘恢复实践主要针对活跃的植被，这使这些物种面临危险。

海滩是许多海鸟和滨鸟的重要栖息地，提供觅食、休息和筑巢的栖息地。例如，鸻（ Charadrius和Anarhynchus属）在很少或没有植被覆盖的平坦栖息地中筑巢，以便从孵化位置获得广阔的视野并增强早期捕食者的发现² 。在开阔的海岸海滩上，这种环境通常出现在海岸和第一批移动沙丘之间。该地区更容易受到恶劣天气事件（例如风暴和洪水）的影响，但当父母不在时，海风有助于鸡蛋的温度调节，并减轻热应激的致命影响³ 。在许多海滩上，在巢穴捕食风险较高的地区（更多暴露的巢穴）筑巢和提高成虫生存率（更强的发现捕食者的能力）之间的微妙生态权衡正在受到损害。